Nearby Theaters

The Majestic Theater opened in January 1916 in the Athenaeum Building. A Hillgreen-Lane theater organ was installed. The Majestic Theater was closed in 1954 and the auditorium was demolished. The front of the building remains and was converted into offices.

An article about the Majestic’s first operator, W. S. McLaren, in the March 12, 1918, issue of Michigan Film Review quoted him as saying that he had opened the Majestic Theatre in the old Athenaeum building on January 21, 1916. McLaren also operated a 250-seat house in Jackson called the Colonial, which he had opened in January, 1915. Prior to that, he had operated a movie house called the Sylvan Theatre in the former opera house in his home town of Chelsea, Michigan.

Can you imagine being large enough to accommodate the city library and the home of the Michigan Bell Telephone offices? According to a source the stage was large enough that it accommodated live horses galloping toward the crowd during “Ben Hur.” Although the auditorium was razed, the front of this building still stands much as it appears above. Looking at this photo it appears as though the small building next door was a grocery store. Today it is a garage.

Here is some information that I found elsewhere on the web. These are the particulars of the Antheneum/Majestic Theatre, http://michiganoperahouses.com/?p=113

According to this page, the Antheneum/Majestic Theatre enjoyed these claims to fame: “During the mid-1920s Jackson Theater-goers enjoyed what was then a record breaking run, 92 consecutive weeks of dramatic stock – a new play being presented each week – at the Majestic Theater” (Frank 1964). The Great Central Mid-Winter Circus with Dan Rice appeared at the Athenaeum on January 16 thru 18, 1899 (Frank
1974).

According to one source I have found, the Antheneum/Majestic Theatre had 869 seats. Its owners (in order of the years of ownership) included 1920 W. S. McLaren, 1925 Harold Frank, 1935-1955 Butterfield Circuit (Publix- Paramount). The Butterfield Circuit was the same as owned the Michigan Theatre at 124 N. Mechanic St.

I am presently working on a book on Jackson’s theaters and will have more information on many of these shortly. (If okay with this site’s administrators, I would like to add some of this information to the site.)

Here is an item about theaters in Jackson, including the Majestic, from the November 24, 1917, issue of Motography:

“Two of the most interesting spots in Jackson, Michigan, are the Majestic and Colonial theaters. These are owned and operated by the Majestic-Colonial Theater Company, Inc., of which W. S. McClaren is manager. The Majestic, advertised as ‘The Theater Beautiful,’ plays Vitagraph, Selznick, Metro, World and K. E. S. E. pictures and the best road attractions. It was formerly a $30,000 legitimate house but it took to pictures at 10, 15 and 25 cents with Mr. McClaren’s management to start the people that way. Mr. McClaren uses a splendid orchestra of ten pieces and an organ at the Majestic and girl ushers, with girls also on the doors. The Colonial, called ‘The Pride of the East Side,’ was the first suburban house of the city, built three years ago. It seats 300 and is doing good business.”